Branstad, Trump to meet with the president of China this week

TOKYO, Japan--- President Donald Trump wrapped up a busy first day of his Asia tour Sunday: talking North Korea, trade, and national security. Later this week, a former Iowa governor will take a prime spot on the international stage, facilitating diplomatic talks between Trump and foreign leaders.

Sunday, Trump began his day on the golf course with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before holding formal talks.

The President addressed reporters before a steak dinner at a Tokyo restaurant, saying, "Thank you very much for being here. We are in the midst of having very major discussions on many subjects including North Korea and trade and other things."

Trump told a group of business leaders in Tokyo that Japan has an unfair advantage on trade and that he intends to fix that imbalance by making it easier to do business in the U.S.

He asked Japanese automakers, including Toyota and Honda, to build more in America and to hire more American workers.

Trump also met with American and Japanese service members at a joint U.S.-Japanese military base outside Tokyo.

"No one, no dictator, no regime, and no nation should underestimate, ever, American resolve," Trump told the troops. "Every once in a while in the past they underestimated us. It was not pleasant for them, was it? It was not pleasant."

Later this week, Trump will head to China, where he will catch up with a familiar face to Iowans. He is heading to Beijing, where former-Iowa Governor Terry Branstad now calls "home."

As the U.S. Ambassador to China, Branstad will serve as a liaison between Trump and the Chinese President when they meet. During the meeting, Trump is expected to try and renegotiate a trade deal between the U.S. and China, in the hopes of lowering the trade deficit between the two countries.

This 12-day Asia trip is Trump's longest so far as commander-in-chief. He'll visit five countries over the next week and a half.

Sunday, it was announced that Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.